Animal rights curriculum

Many community members have been seen shooting or poisoning stray dogs

Animal rights hasn’t been considered as a pressing issue in Pakistan. But the recent rise in the population of street dogs and the government’s brutal response — of rounding them up willy-nilly and culling them — has prompted activists and advocates to raise their voice. Many community members have also been seen shooting or poisoning these stray dogs.

Many also forget about the unacknowledged culture of illegal animal sale. Informal markets are set up on specific days where all types of animals are sold at cheap prices. They are usually kept in deplorable conditions. Moreover, despite bans, illegal hunting of indigenous birds also continues unabated. One of the ways of tackling the prevailing mindset and culture is to create awareness at the school level. The incumbent government’s Strategic Reforms Unit has announced that a special curriculum designed to educate children on animal rights will be launched on December 9, prior to International Animal Rights Day. The course is said to include general knowledge on animal rights while also incorporating information from religious texts and examples. In the first phase, the curriculum will be introduced at the primary level in schools of Islamabad before its expansion to the rest of the country. Stray animals are often beaten, stoned and harassed by children and adults alike for entertainment, showing lack of awareness and empathy towards animals. The curriculum can help instil in children that animals too are living beings and must be treated with dignity just like humans. Biologically, humans belong to the animal kingdom, meaning we are not much different from them in terms of feeling trauma and pain.

The overarching lesson is about how to treat the vulnerable. Animals are voiceless living creatures who cannot speak up for themselves. We need to be an extension of their voice to make sure that they are protected and respected in a humane manner.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2022.

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